


Vanity and Pride

by BlueRaith



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Amity Is Not Ready For Calamity, Coming of Age, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, Medium Burn, Speculative S2 Blight Family Dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27323932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRaith/pseuds/BlueRaith
Summary: Amity is a Blight. Perfectionism, ambition, ruthlessness. Amity has embraced all these things since early childhood. She knows what is expected of her, and she's determined to do whatever is necessary to succeed.Or rather, she was.Luz the Human has made Amity realize that she does not know who she is. She knows she wants a relationship with Luz, but when this desire begins to clash with her lifelong dream to join the Emperor's Coven as well as the stifling expectations her parents has set for her, Amity wonders if she can somehow find a way to get everything she wants.The pressure is suffocating, and the stress is building, and Amity is forced to consider whether the weight of a legacy is worth all the pain and sacrifice she has already lived through or what is to come.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 21
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The working title of this chapter: Worry Wart Amity Very Nearly Gives Herself A Panic Attack
> 
> As you can imagine, this work was absurdly hard for me to title.

_Dear Diary,_

_It’s Friday again, and we both know what that means. Undoubtedly, Mom is going to find a way to criticize me over what happened during grudgby. Even if I hadn’t gotten injured, there was no way it would have been hidden from her. Boscha’s mother gossips with her nearly every week, so that was a foregone conclusion. I can already hear it:_

“ _Amity, Blights don’t get injured during sports. Clearly, you should have avoided breaking your leg out of sheer will. I expect not to hear about this ever again, and I certainly hope that you heal faster than the average peasant.”_

 _Okay, diary, I don’t think Mom_ **_really_ ** _sounds like that, but you get the point._

 _Beyond that, you know that she’s likely heard that I’ve become friends with Willow again. I’m_ ** _definitely_** _not looking forward to that portion of dinner. Dad’s probably going to join in too, they both banned me from being friends with her in the first place. I know I probably should have thought out standing up to Boscha a little more, but I couldn’t just let her pulverize Luz and Willow during the game._

 _Hopefully the twins have done something stupid this week. I know they probably haven’t done anything_ **_nearly_ ** _as notable as I have, but I have to hope that they can at least take a little of the attention off of me. Maybe I can convince them to do something extra dumb today before we get home from school. If I frame it as something fun, they’ll probably do it without having to give them anything._

_On the other hand, they’ll probably know something is off with me if I try to get them to do something ‘fun.’ I know they think I’m a stick in the mud, but I can have fun!_

~~_Why can I feel you judging me too, diary?_ ~~

_Whatever, I’ll end this here, then._

Amity sighed as she shut the diary and stared out her window. She could already feel the stress getting to her, and it was only the morning. Amity still had several hours to suffer through until she would face her doom.

Maybe that was a little dramatic, but Amity knew how disastrous Fridays always were. Her parents liked to pretend they were keeping up with their children by holding these weekly dinners in which her mother insisted they _all_ attend. Both of her parents were usually very busy with their jobs, and as the twins had gotten older, they’d find more and more excuses to get out of the manor. Amity couldn’t really blame them, but she was more than a little resentful that they constantly _left_ her in the clutches of their parents.

But no amount of excuses, reasons, or arguments could get the twins out of the Manor on Friday. This dinner was mandatory. Familial bonding wasn’t the goal, their mother was far more interested in updating the tabs she kept on all their lives. Odalia Blight would not be happy until she was certain the good family name had not been tarnished over the past week.

Somehow, her brother and sister always scraped by with some kind of lie that either downplayed their ridiculous antics or they managed to do something impressive enough that it made Amity’s accomplishments seem small by comparison. The pressure to succeed was _always_ high, at least in Amity’s mind. Edric and Emira probably didn’t care nearly as much as she did, they were more interested in keeping enough heat off their backs to continue doing… whatever it was they got up to.

And maybe only a few months ago, Amity would have hated her siblings for making her seem so small compared to them. But now… Amity was beginning to wonder if perhaps her parents were being too hard on all of them.

Case in point, Amity hadn’t been exaggerating in her diary entry. If anything, she’d under sold the potential danger. She wasn’t too afraid of her parents impending lecture about her injury, Amity had actually already borne the brunt of that from her mother the day that it had happened. And if anything, it hadn’t been _too_ bad. For once, her mother _had_ at the very least expressed concern over her wellbeing before she’d ultimately torn into Amity with a lecture. So, all in all, nothing too bad.

No, Amity was far, _far_ more concerned over her parents’ impending blowup over her newly rekindled friendship with Willow. She wasn’t hanging out with Boscha and her crew anymore either, and that was sure to draw their ire. She was very deliberately disobeying them, and her mother was certainly not going to take that to that kindly. Her father would be the wild card, Amity was never certain what he would do. She might just be able to convince him to see things from her position if she was able to sell Willow’s significant abilities at plant magic.

Yes… that was probably the only way she’d be able to keep her friends. She’d have to play her own parents against each other, which was always a task that might as well have been sent by the Titan himself. Her mother was a _very_ notable witch in the Oracle Coven. Oftentimes, Amity wondered how in the isles the twins managed to lie to her. In Amity’s experience lying to Odalia Blight was, well….

_Impossible._

Maybe _that_ was what she needed to get some pointers in from them. But just the thought of even _attempting_ to lie to her mother’s face got Amity’s chest tightening. What if that made her position even _worse?_ Truthfully, Amity didn’t have nearly as much experience in fooling her parents as she probably should.

It shouldn’t be too hard, right? Edric and Emira got away with it all the time. Not that Amity knew _how_ exactly. Their mother was a force to be reckoned with, and she _always_ seemed to know when Amity was lying to her.

At least… the very _few_ times she’d ever tried it.

Why was she even thinking of _trying_ then? Amity knew what the end result would be. They’d probably do something terrible to Willow, blame Amity for it for even trying to interact with her again, and then punish Amity severely.

And it _would_ be Amity’s fault. They told her what would happen if she didn’t listen to them all those years ago, right? And now here she was, disobeying them _on purpose._ It was certain to be even worse then, because her parents would _know_ Amity was making a deliberate choice to defy them.

She’d promised Willow she’d be better though. And Amity _wanted_ to be better. She knew she’d been a terrible friend. But how did she balance being a good friend with being a good daughter?

Amity _knew_ Ed and Em would probably mock her mercilessly for it, but it wasn’t as though Amity _wanted_ to disappoint her parents. For better or worse, their opinions mattered to her, because… well, why wouldn’t they? Amity might resent that her parents didn’t often spend enough time with them, but they were usually doing what was best for all of them.

Most times at least.

With some things.

And they were _so used_ to getting their way. Amity wasn’t even sure what they would do to her if—no, _when_ they found out about all the things she’d been keeping from them. This had the potential to get _bad,_ and it terrified Amity to no end that she had _no idea_ what could happen in the worst case scenario.

“Amity?”

One word was enough to rip Amity from her worrying, though that was probably more out of surprise that Emira hadn’t called her Mittens for once.

Her sister was standing at the door, and regarding Amity with a small frown. More than likely, Em knew what was on Amity’s mind. This dinner was _always_ on all of their minds in the hours leading up to it.

“Come on,” Em said with a pained grin on her face. “No use sitting in your brooding window, it’s gonna go how it’s gonna go.”

Sometimes Amity really couldn’t stand how blasé her siblings were. This was _serious,_ they all knew that.

As if Emira could read the impending irritation on Amity’s face, she sighed and stepped further into her bedroom

“Look, what’s worrying about it all day going to do?” Emira asked her with a shrug. “Besides freaking you out?”

Amity shook her head. “She probably knows, Em. What are they going to do? I don’t want to stop being friends with Willow again, and you know she’ll do something _terrible_ to her.”

Amity didn’t have to clarify who they were talking about.

“Do you _really_ know that, though?” Emira pointed out as she crossed her arms casually. “Mittens, a lot of the stuff Mom says is just to freak us out. She doesn’t actually have as much power as she probably wants us to believe. Besides, from what you’ve told us, Willow sounds like she can handle herself now. I think you’re probably overthinking this.”

On some level, Amity knew that Emira was probably right, but it was so hard to shake her habit of worrying over… well, _everything._

“I don’t know how you can be so calm,” Amity grumbled as she gathered her crutches and handed her sister her school bag.

“Easy, I just throw any worries I have into the back of my mind and never think about it again.”

“ _That’s_ healthy,” Amity deadpanned as she hobbled past.

And Amity _knew_ that she was going to regret her snark and a smug grin grew on Emira’s face.

“Well, why not think of something you’d enjoy? Like the human?”

Emira knew _exactly_ what she was doing, and Amity felt her face redden at the very thought. As though summoned by magic, Amity’s mind immediately pivoted to Luz. She knew she was probably more than a little obvious about her crush by now. Edric hadn’t seemed to notice— _yet—_ but if Emira knew or suspected, then it was only a matter of time.

“Ooh, that’s a pretty deep shade, Mittens. You should probably take a breath before you pass out,” Emira laughed as she followed Amity out of the room.

Amity cursed these crutches. She was hobbling as quickly as she could, as though she could escape thinking about Luz if she managed to _somehow_ outstrip her sister.

Never mind the fact that Emira was literally carrying her school bag.

They met Edric in the foyer, he took one look at the both of them, and Amity _knew_ she should have taken a moment to gather herself.

“What’s going on?” He asked, a smirk to match Em’s slowly growing on his face.

“ _Nothing!”_ Amity snarled. “We’re going to school. _Now.”_

He held up his hands placatingly, apparently not in a huge hurry to take Amity on in the mornings. Good, they both knew that they risked taking on one of her abominations while she was grumpy.

Not that she _was_ grumpy. Amity had perfectly good reason to be annoyed by their antics.

With the twins not pushing their luck, Amity finally slowed down a little. Rushing anywhere on crutches was murder on her shoulders. She was very happy that she’d be getting her cast off soon, for more than one reason. Once she did, she could finally keep up with Luz and the others in their crazy antics.

And there it was _again._ Amity didn’t want to admit that Emira was right, but… well, it seemed she was. Amity was no longer worrying about her mother.

Granted, thinking about Luz was _always_ preferable to worrying about how her parents were going to react to any and every decision Amity made. But it also highlighted another _stark_ problem she was having.

Amity knew her crush on Luz was a complete disaster.

She had no idea how to act around her, and people were starting to notice. Emira made that obvious this morning, and Amity was _certain_ that Willow had noticed something before their grudgby game. By the Titan, Amity had forgotten her own _name_ after Luz had lifted her up. She groaned aloud at the thought, fortunately Edric and Emira were used to her brooding on the way to school and didn’t question it. They were whispering amongst each other, and Amity absently made a note to keep on her guard for the day.

But they weren’t her main concern for the moment. What if _Luz_ finally noticed how Amity felt about her? That wasn’t something Amity was certain she was ready for. On the one hand, Luz would know. On the other hand, Luz would _know._ Amity was already terrified of rejection, and that fear almost seemed to grow worse as her friendship with Luz grew stronger. It seemed like Luz became even more amazing the more Amity discovered about her.

Until Amity made a decision on what to _do_ about her crush, she knew she needed to learn how to act like a _normal person_ around Luz, but that was much easier said than done. Luz had this uncanny ability to completely throw Amity off guard whether that be through her silly antics, her penchant for putting herself into mortal danger, or her… Luz-ness.

Which meant that Amity stood absolutely no chance at being functional around her, and that _frustrated_ her. Amity was used to being on top of her game, she was a _Blight._ Amity was positive Blights weren’t supposed to become melted puddles around their crushes at every opportunity.

Figuring out how to be normal around Luz was probably going to be an ongoing issue, and one Amity was trying to put off for as long as possible. Instead, thinking about Luz’s ability to find danger put her most recent misadventure at the forefront of Amity’s mind, and Amity was _worried_ for her friend. In more ways than one.

Beyond the fact that she could have gotten herself killed or _worse,_ Amity was now realizing that Luz’s actions had been put on _crystal ball._ Luz had been well known at school because she was the only human there. However, now she was probably going to be notorious throughout the Boiling Isles for taking on the Emperor and _winning._ She’d gotten pardoned, but Amity knew that people like her parents wouldn’t care about that.

Luz would be regarded as an upstart, and bad for their family image. Even _if_ Amity wanted to make her friendship with Luz public, that still wasn’t an option. Her parents would regard Luz worse than Willow, if that was somehow possible. No, Amity knew that she would _never_ be able to tell her parents about Luz. Ed and Em were already risky because of their penchant for embarrassing her. Knowingly or not.

And that was an entirely different cauldron of issues. Luz was probably a household name by now along with Eda the Owl Lady—who, Amity had to admit, already was notorious. If Amity wanted to keep up this friendship—and crush, but Amity forcefully pushed that thought down for now—then she would have to be _extraordinarily careful_ with how she interacted with the inhabitants of the Owl House. It was probably a foregone conclusion that public appearances would need to be _very_ thought out. She didn’t want to risk her parents getting wind of anything, because Amity knew that her mother had her eyes looking out for anything that could harm their reputation.

But, that wasn’t the only concern Amity had with Luz, as much as she was loathe to admit it.

Amity had to admit that the situation was entirely more complicated than just her parents. For once, she and Luz… didn’t really see eye to eye. Amity still wanted to join the Emperor’s Coven, it had been Amity’s dream for as long as she could remember. As much as Amity might resent the immense pressure she was constantly under, Amity knew enough about herself to admit that she had her own fair share of ambition. If she managed to get in, she’d be _the_ Amity Blight once she made a name for herself.

No more comparing herself to the twins. No more living in her parents’ shadow. No more worrying about how she reflected on the _Blight_ name. She’d be better than them all, she’d be _Amity._

And with Luz taking such an aggressive stand against the Emperor himself… Amity wondered what that would mean for her own reputation. And the thought immediately brought her _so much_ shame. Hadn’t she promised Willow she’d be a better friend? Was she turning her back on that promise already while thinking so selfishly?

Amity didn’t know, and she wondered if there was a way to have both. She didn’t want to give up on her dreams, but she also didn’t want to give up on her friendship with Luz. Amity knew they’d have to have a conversation about this eventually, but if she couldn’t manage to string two words together when she was around Luz, then what chance did she have with a _real,_ serious conversation?

There were _a lot_ of things she knew she wanted to say to Luz if she managed to be coherent enough. She wanted to yell at her for being so, so _dumb._ Amity wanted to make sure she was actually alright. She wanted to figure out where Luz and Eda now stood with the Emperor. Granted, Amity was smart enough to realize that they were probably not on the _best_ of terms, but…. Amity sometimes just couldn’t wrap her mind around the rebellious nature so many of her friends and even family engaged in.

“What’re you thinking about?” Edric’s voice was _right_ next to Amity’s ear, and she very nearly shrieked. She did end up dropping one of her crutches, and Em had to hold her steady.

Both were snickering at her, and Amity had to resist the urge to yell at them both. She knew that would only fuel their shenanigans.

“Nothing!” Amity said through gritted teeth.

“Doesn’t look like nothing,” Em said as Ed handed Amity her crutch.

“Come on, Mittens,” Ed cajoled while fluttering his eyelashes at her. “Try us, we promise not to tease you too much.”

“Something _clearly_ has you occupied,” Em added.

Amity sighed, she knew that they wouldn’t leave her alone until she gave them _something._ And… truthfully, she did kind of want to bounce her thoughts off of someone. It wasn’t as though Amity had a lot of choice when it came to getting advice.

“How do I stay friends with Luz if I still want to join the Emperor’s Coven?” Amity blurted out.

Both her siblings were taken aback for a moment. They were probably expecting her to say something about their parents, and this was out of left field.

“Um…” Edric started. “Where’s _that_ coming from?”

Amity shrugged, suddenly wondering if trying to confide in her siblings was the right idea. But… she’d already blurted out her main issue, so it wasn’t like she could take it back.

“I don’t know. Luz made the Emperor look…,” Amity trailed off, unsure how to properly describe what had happened.

“Like a joke?” Emira supplied for her. “I know, it was pretty great.”

“Yeah, _and_ she got pardoned,” Edric crowed.

Of course they’d be more focused on the fact that Luz “got away” with what she did.

“That’s not the _point,”_ Amity snapped impatiently. “Can you _please_ take this seriously for once?”

The twins grins faded, apparently noticing just how stressed Amity was.

“Come on, Amity. You guys are, what, fourteen?” Ed pointed out.

“It’s not you have to worry about this any time soon,” Em agreed.

They didn’t get it, and Amity should have expected it. The both of them were always putting off important matters until it was right on top of them, and sometimes Amity really hated how easy everything came to them.

“Forget it, then,” Amity grunted. “It’s not important.”

Her siblings traded a glance, probably having an entire conversation with a single look. Twins were the worst, and Amity would always stand by that statement.

“Kinda _seems_ important,” Emira hedged carefully. “What exactly are you worried about? They got pardoned, and I doubt Luz is going to go out of her way to create more trouble with the Emperor.”

“Yeah, think about it. Luz really only went to save the Owl Lady from _petrification._ That’s not really something that happens everyday. I think you’re going to be okay,” Edric told her.

“Mom and Dad aren’t going to see it that way, and I don’t think the Emperor is either! No one who actually _matters_ is going to let this go, no matter what they actually _say._ The Emperor probably only pardoned them to save face,” Amity muttered.

“Why do they matter so much?” Em asked, and if she wasn’t frowning, Amity would have thought she was playing dumb on purpose.

Amity blinked at her for a moment. “They’re our parents and the _Emperor._ Why _wouldn’t_ they matter?”

“Because we’ll eventually move out on our own?” Edric asked as though that explained everything. “We won’t be under Mom and Dad’s grip forever, Mittens. You really gotta learn how to let this stuff go and, I don’t know, live your life.”

“And what are the chances that you’re going to meet the Emperor in the next few years?” Emira added.

“Fine, whatever. Let’s just drop it. I don’t even want to think about it anymore.”

Amity moved past them determined to put this all in the back of her mind. She should have known better than opening up, all this conversation did was up her anxiety level, but the twins at least made _one_ good point. There was nothing Amity could really do right now about any of this.

But if her siblings really _did_ have a point, then maybe that’s what Amity should do. It was going to feel absolutely foreign to her, but Amity _supposed_ she could… _try_ to roll with the punches.

Amity was so used to planning out every aspect of her life, that she wasn’t exactly sure what relaxing looked like. She supposed spending more time with Luz could help with that. If there was one person who was more chaotic than Amity’s siblings, it was Luz the human.

She certainly wasn’t about to tell the twins that _maybe_ there was _some_ truth behind what they said. If she did, they would never let her hear the end of it. Better to just pretend to blow them off completely.

Amity had no choice, she was going to have to play it cool. She could do this, she knew how to carry herself with people she… well, once considered beneath her. While Amity wasn’t interested in continuing that line of thinking, there was a certain icy edge Amity _knew_ she was capable of carrying. She’d have to tweak it, of course, she didn’t want Luz to think Amity _hated_ her. It’d just be a repeat of their disastrous Covention meet up. Luz was Amity’s friend, and Amity valued that.

It was the last thing Amity wanted to risk. If Luz didn’t like her back… well, Amity would just have to live with it. It’d hurt, and Amity wasn’t sure what to do with that pain, but she was strong enough to figure it out. On her own. Considering the fact that Amity’s friends were now also Luz’s friends. And the twins were a _huge no_ in terms of going to them with anything Luz related. Amity wasn’t quite sure if they knew how deeply her crush went for the human, but Amity knew that they had their suspicions.

So, that was the plan. Play it cool, keep her friendship with Luz, and—

Amity’s planning was ground to a halt as she smacked right into someone as she stepped onto the entrance path into Hexside. Her crutches again fell to the ground, and Amity very nearly tumbled right after them. However, a _very_ familiar pair of arms caught her before that could happen, and Amity could already feel the heat rushing into her face.

“Amity! Are you okay?”

Acting normal around Luz was apparently going to be tested much sooner than Amity had expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End notes are usually where I go into some author commentary. If you're interested in my process or commentary on characterization or plot points, this is where you're going to find it throughout this story.
> 
> This entire fic is outlined, and I'm very interested in how that outline is going to translate into this work. I normally only do it for my original fiction, but since I don't post that publicly, I'm experimenting with it here in this fanfiction. I'm aiming for a much more cohesive storyline that ends up novel length. Considering that I normally ramble into fluff for about 20k words and faff about before finally stumbling into a plot, I'm going to do my best to avoid that this time around.
> 
> I've disguised an Amity character study as a first chapter. Mostly because I am of the opinion that Amity wouldn't just drop every dream she's ever had for Luz and the law breaking she technically committed while she was out for the count. I know she's super into Luz, and we'll get into that, but even a first gay crush isn't going to be quite enough to completely throw away every goal you've ever had for yourself, right? I think there'd be a lot of struggle and conflict there.
> 
> In a similar vein, I have read a ton of fic in the month that it took for me to outline this story. (A lot of whining was involved during the outline process, btw. Necessary, but I hate it.) I have read many takes on Blight Family Dynamics, and I... question if many writers have ever had parents who are toxic, but have struggled with learning just what that toxicity looked like and how unhealthy is actually is. I'm aiming for something that will be far more insidious than a plain: The Blights are terrible parents who don't give a flip about their kids.
> 
> Because, I don't think that will be the case. Chances are, the Blight parents care very much about their children, but show it in all the wrong ways. I want to explore a relationship in which Amity does care about her parents, and will learn in time that just because her parents care, it does not mean that they are showing it in the right ways. Toxicity can be very insidious, and children raised in that sort of family dynamic often hope in vain that their parents will change for the better.
> 
> Honestly, toxic family dynamics is probably the main motivation behind this story. Amity is a very interesting character to me for this reason, and I'm looking forward to cracking this topic open and exploring the crap out of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity's worst nightmare has come to life. She now has to talk to a pretty girl while she is utterly unprepared. If this is how her day is going to go, Amity isn't sure how she is going to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, the election is over, my anxiety is ended, and now I can actually focus on writing again.
> 
> Art made by the _wonderful_ Aternova. Check out their tumblr account: @ater-nova!

Luz was supporting nearly all of Amity’s weight, and that fact only reminded her of how Luz had bodily carried her all the way to the healer’s office just last week. The memory made Amity’s face nearly catch fire as Luz’s arms wrapped around her. Again. For a moment, Amity forgot entirely how her body worked. Weren’t her legs broken? No, wait, she still had a working one. She should probably try to actually use it….

Behind her, Amity could hear the twins snickering, and from the sound of it, they weren’t even _remotely_ trying to keep quiet about it. It was official: once Amity got her cast off there was going to be a reckoning at the Manor.

She could feel her face get even hotter, undoubtedly getting to the point that even Luz would notice. This time her temper was mixing with the embarrassment she was already trying and failing to deal with. Edric again handed Amity her crutches, chortling all the while, and Amity took the opportunity to send him the most scathing glare she could physically summon.

He had the gall to not even appear the _slightest_ repentant.

“Whew, good thing I was right here, huh?” Luz asked with a gleaming smile. She even helped Amity properly place her crutches under each shoulder.

Amity’s brain short-circuited.

“Caught ya right before you tripped. I guess these sidewalks aren’t really smooth enough for you right now,” Luz continued as though nothing was wrong.

Amity _wanted_ to respond. In a perfect world, she’d actually know what to say and sound like a normal person instead of being an absolute disaster. But Amity’s mouth was _refusing_ to work properly.

“I—Ye- _ah!”_ Amity’s voice _squeaked_ towards the end and she never wanted more than to disappear right now.

It was one thing to act like this when it was just her and Luz. Titan help her, Luz never seemed to notice _anything_ weird Amity did. However, acting this way in front of _Edric and Emira?_

Oh, she wasn’t going to live this down later.

“Oh, _yeah,”_ Edric snorted. “Amity’s been having _so much_ trouble getting around.”

Emira stepped forward, eyes glittering with glee, and Amity _dreaded_ what was about to come out of her sister’s mouth.

“Hey… you know, me and Edric won’t be able to keep up with Mittens all day today. Different schedules and all. And I mean, _sure,_ Amity could summon an abomination to carry all of her stuff, but between handling her crutches, navigating these _totally_ uneven floors,” Emira very nearly lost her composure here, “we’re just worried that Mittens will struggle getting around.”

Edric seemed to catch on immediately to what Emira was doing.

 _“Yeah…,”_ he continued, a mischievous smirk slowly dawning on his face. “If only there was _someone_ in her grade who had classes nearby….”

And Luz, in all her _stupid, adorable_ obliviousness didn’t seem to realize that the twins were completely setting her up. She practically lit up, more than she already was, and thrust a finger into the air.

“I’ll do it! What good is a fearless protector if I didn’t make sure you got to all your classes in one piece?”

The way Ed and Em just _looked_ at one another told Amity that they found this entire interaction _amazing._ And in all the wrong ways. Amity _was not_ looking forward to the walk home today. They were going to be unbearable.

But it was too late, Amity didn’t even have to say anything. Luz simply plucked Amity’s bag off of Emira’s shoulder, and probably would have gone to pick Amity up again if she wasn’t already carrying her own school supplies.

“Great!” Emira was apparently choosing to play her cards wisely as she leaned closer to Luz almost conspiratorially. “We can meet back here. Don’t listen to Mittens if she tries to tell you she can handle herself. She very nearly fell down the stairs this morning.”

And then Emira had the audacity to _wink_ as she finished that bald faced _lie._

“Oh, well, I was actually going to ask Amity if she wanted to come over to the Owl House after school. We could have a book club, since Gus and Willow are busy,” Luz said hopefully.

The _very idea_ of spending some one on one time with Luz was… daunting. Amity opened her mouth to try and respond, and _immediately_ snapped it shut again. An Azura book club was something they’d both been looking forward for since meeting at the Knee, but so far it hadn’t panned out. Amity was always so busy with extra credit, and Luz wasn’t much better off with all the odd jobs that the Owl Lady always seemed to send her on.

Had they been meeting _before_ Amity realized she had the _largest_ crush on the entire Boiling Isles for one Luz the human, then Amity might have been able to hold her own without the buffer Willow and Gus provided. But… and cowardly as this felt to admit, Amity realized that she and Luz hadn’t spent much time together when their lives weren’t in mortal danger.

Even Grom had the pressure of defeating an ancient, horrific monster bent on psychologically attacking every being on the Boiling Isles.

But… hanging out with Luz? Alone? Together? Just _talking?_

Doing the _one_ thing Amity seemed to find herself utterly incapable of doing?

“You… you want to have a book club meeting?” Amity finally managed to ask. “Today? Alone?”

She couldn’t help but make sure that she was hearing things right. It would be just her luck that this was all some sort of fever dream.

Luz cocked her head at Amity in confusion. “Well, yes? I mean, if you know other fans, that’d be _great!_ I don’t think I’ve met anyone else yet who’ve even heard of the Good Witch Azura, though….”

No, wait, just the idea of other people _invading_ on the one thing she and Luz seemed to have in common made a weird, thorny throb go off in Amity’s chest.

 _“No!”_ Amity snapped out quickly, and the force of her exclamation seemed to almost push Luz back physically. “Uh… I mean, I haven’t met anyone else who has read them.”

“Well, then it’s back to just me and you,” Luz said, recovering from Amity’s weird outburst as though it hadn’t happened at all.

“Right, me and you,” Amity laughed nervously.

“Oh… and I _guess_ Lilith might be there too. Don’t worry, though. She’ll probably do her best to ignore us if we stay up in my room.”

 _That_ brought all of Amity’s issues with this conversation to a jarring halt. Lilith? Her _former mentor_ Lilith? Ex-head of the Emperor’s Coven Lilith? The same Lilith who tricked Amity into _cheating_ during Covention?

Amity grit her teeth so hard that she almost worried she might crack something.

“She’s living at the Owl House?” Amity said through a clenched jaw.

“Yeah, I guess Eda felt bad that she had literally nowhere else to go. I mean, _I_ think she should have a taste of her own medicine and go on the run for a little while, but I guess that’s a little too mean,” Luz said glumly as she kicked at the ground.

On the contrary, Amity didn’t think that was too mean at all, but she also realized that she had a far meaner streak than Luz did. It was something Amity loved— _liked—_ about Luz, but she doubted that saying she thought Lilith Clawthorne deserved everything that was coming to her, if not more, was probably not going to be a constructive conversation.

“Then again, she _did_ hold me hostage, so _she’d_ actually still beat me out on the mean scale,” Luz continued thoughtfully.

Wait.

_What?_

Amity had _not_ heard that part of Luz’s misadventure, and she wondered if it would be considered murder if she had an abomination strangle Lilith for her. She’d been pardoned along with Luz and the Owl Lady, but Amity had a _very_ hard time believing that anyone would care.

“She held you _hostage?”_ Amity shouted loud enough for nearby students to look over at them.

Luz held her hands up, almost as if to protect herself from the fallout of Amity’s anger.

“Hey, it’s _fine._ Eda ended up saving me after she threw me off the bridge, so I guess it’s not _that_ big a deal. I mean, I almost hit those spikes, but it’s no big deal! She _said_ she was sorry, and it’s not like I didn’t kick her butt with my glyphs, so _maybe_ we’re even?” Luz seemed to be talking more to herself at this point, but Amity didn’t mind.

She was too busy seeing red.

“Are you saying she almost _killed you?!”_ Amity _almost_ screeched and only just managed to keep her volume down low enough that it wouldn’t bring further attention to them all.

Amity still wasn’t trying to get her friendship with Luz broadcasted to too many people if she could help it. Boscha was just one comment away from giving her mother something to gossip with.

“Eh…,” Luz shook her hand from side to side. “Like I said, I ended up kicking her butt in the end, so I think I came out the better.”

Amity had no idea what to say to that. She was seriously questioning the entire timeline of Luz’s misadventure. She’d only been able to see what had been broadcasted on crystal ball, just like everyone else, but apparently what everyone had seen that day was only the tip of the Knee.

“Wait, you _fought_ Lilith?” Emira asked with a raise of her brow, very clearly impressed. “Wow, I think we might need to have another training meetup.”

“Hopefully without any slitherbeasts this time,” Edric said with a shudder.

“Well, I kind of ambushed her because I was _super_ mad about her cursing Eda and capturing her in the first place, but then we kinda started working together, so I guess neither of us won that fight?”

Amity couldn’t keep up with what Luz was saying. Apparently Lilith _cursed_ her own sister? Amity couldn’t relate. Curses were very serious things, and no matter how much Emira or Edric upset her Amity wouldn’t _curse_ either of them. Throw them out of the nearest window with an abomination, maybe, but cursing was never on the table.

All she could really say with any certainty was that Amity _did not_ want to be around Lilith right now.

“So, she’s… _living_ with you? Why? She almost _killed_ you!”

The hostility Amity was feeling must have been coming off of her in waves. Luz outright flinched at the tone of Amity’s voice, and she wondered if Luz realized just how _furious_ Amity was with Lilith right now.

“Hey, I’m not really that stoked about it either, but I don’t think she’ll ever do anything like that again. Eda’d probably skin her alive if she even so much as looked at me funny. I guess… we don’t _have_ to do anything at the Owl House if you’re not comfortable around Lilith right now, though,” Luz said as she rubbed the back of her neck.

She was clearly disappointed, and Amity wanted to kick herself. Why did Amity always have to go so hard in everything she did? Luz was trying so hard to cater to _Amity’s_ feelings when she was the one who had almost been _killed._ Whatever animosity Amity held towards her former mentor could—and probably should—be put to the side if it meant making Luz’s issues easier to deal with. Amity couldn’t imagine that she was going to have an easy time today after the near revolt she’d started.

“I’m fine!” Amity protested, probably far too aggressively if the wince her siblings gave was any indication.

Unfortunately, even Luz seemed to spot her discomfort—a testament to Amity’s failure to manage her own emotions if there ever was—and gave Amity a small smile.

“No, it’s really okay, Amity. I probably should have realized this earlier. I haven’t heard you talk about her at all lately. You guys probably aren’t on the best of terms either. We can figure out something else.”

And Amity was _so_ eager to do just that.

“The Library’s always a great spot.”

“Uh… Mittens, not to kill the mood, but you’re forgetting about _you know what,”_ Edric interrupted and ground all of Amity’s thoughts to a halt.

Of course, the _dinner._ What wouldn’t Amity give to have some abrupt emergency call away her parents so she could avoid the thing entirely?

“I’m sorry, Luz,” Amity said glumly. “We have a prior commitment.”

That was clearly not the news Luz had been looking forward to as she deflated for just a split second. However, Amity watched as she perked up almost as quickly and started to usher Amity towards the steps up to Hexside’s main entrance.

“Well, at least we’ll be able to hang out while we’re at school,” Luz said determinedly.

“Have fun, Mittens!” The twins called in unison as they both gave her a sly wink.

She’d kill them. One day, Amity Blight was going to be an only child. And no one was going to be able to blame her when that day came.

“Yeah! Just you and me, walking to class. With each other,” Amity laughed nervously.

Oh, she wasn’t going to make it through today. This might even be a blessing in disguise. If she melted into a puddle, then she wouldn’t have to deal with her mother tonight….

“You know, I don’t know if Hexside understands accessibility ramps,” Luz said thoughtfully as she glared at the large number of stairs before them.

Amity didn’t know what Luz was referencing, but it was easy enough to guess what she was getting at.

“Oh, this is where an abomination comes in handy,” Amity said as she drew a spell circle. “Abomination, rise!”

The abomination lazily formed before them and gave a grunt as it stood up to its full height.

“Abomination, carry me up the steps!”

Really, the twins were going to be getting some words later. Amity didn’t _need_ Luz to do anything for her, technically. But she was also too much of a coward to tell Luz so, and they _knew that._

It did as it was told, and Luz happily followed after. It was fortunate indeed that Amity’s first class was nearby. She wouldn’t have to worry about saying something too stupid in front of Luz before she had the time to plan how she was going to make it through her day with Luz assisting her.

“This is me,” Amity stated as they came to her first classroom.

Luz very eagerly set Amity’s things on one of the front desks, guessing Amity’s seat immediately. There was no telling if it was a simple coincidence or if Luz actually knew her that well. Amity decided not to question it.

“I’ll be right here when the bell starts screaming,” Luz promised before she was gone in a whirlwind of movement.

Amity was left to her own devices, but she couldn’t possibly ignore the potential risks that were looming over her if the day went like she expected it would. It was fortunate that she was early, there was just enough time to jot down an entry in her diary before too many people filed in.

_Dear Diary,_

_The twins are dead to me. I don’t know how I’m going to handle spending the entire day with Luz worrying over me. With my leg still broken, it’s almost a given I’m going to stumble over_ **_something._ ** _I very nearly died when she caught me just before school started. I have to get a grip over myself. You know as well as I do that if I continue to stumble all over myself when she’s just in my general vicinity, then others are bound to notice._

~~_Hush, the twins and Willow don’t count, they know me too well._ ~~

_Others being the key word here, diary. Luz is still as oblivious as ever and I am not sure if that’s a good thing. On the one hand, I have to question her perception considering all the times I have humiliated myself in front of her. On the other, it’s not like I can afford to actually do anything with her, no matter my feelings about her. Mom and Dad would_ **_never_ ** _accept her._

_I wish this was easier to deal with._

Amity sighed as she closed her diary. If there was one thing her life could _never_ be described as…. Class passed by quickly, and the bell screamed far too soon.

Luz wasn’t alone when Amity managed to hobble to the doorway. Willow and Gus had apparently tracked her down, and Amity wasn’t sure if she wanted them there or not. They’d be able to provide _some_ interference between Amity and Luz, but then again, Amity _did_ kind of enjoy the alone time with Luz. Even if she wanted to have the floor swallow her up all the while.

“Good morning, Amity,” Willow greeted.

Gus gave a distracted wave as he fiddled with whatever human trash he’d managed to find this morning.

“Hey, guys,” Amity answered all the while keeping her eye on Luz as she managed to somehow juggle all of her books plus Amity’s too.

“I’m told we’re going to be your official pack beasts today,” Willow said with a small snort as Luz dropped one of the books and awkwardly scrambled to pick it up from the floor.

“Edric and Emira put her up to this,” Amity said and tried to put on her best unaffected demeanor, but she sounded grumpy, even to her own ears.

“Uh-huh, and I’m _sure_ you feel so put out about it,” Willow answered smugly.

There was absolutely nothing Amity could say that would be an adequate denial of Willow’s suspicions, and they both knew that. Amity was sure to send her the best withering glare she possibly could, but Willow had long since become accustomed to them.

“Wait, do you not want us to help you?” Gus asked, finally focusing on the conversation happening next to him.

“Aw, come on!” Luz exclaimed as another book fell. Amity noted that juggling was not among Luz’s talents.

“I know Luz can get a… _little_ carried away, but all you have to do is tell her and she won’t crowd you so much,” Gus continued as they all watched Luz.

“What? No! This is fine, I’m _fine_ with Luz helping. Don’t you _dare_ say a thing to her!” Amity snapped.

Amity was apparently losing some of her touch. Gus didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by her. Instead he was squinting at Amity in confusion, looking to Luz, and then glancing back to her. He repeated this several times before Amity watched in absolute dread as the spell _finally_ went off behind his eyes.

“Hold on, you _like_ L—”

Willow clamped a hand over his mouth, and Amity thanked the Titan for her quick thinking.

But this was clearly the worst case scenario. _Gus_ now knew. Amity didn’t doubt his intelligence for a moment, but if there was one person on the Boiling Isles who was more oblivious than Luz when it came to matters of the heart, it was Gus.

“Gus, this is something we’re going to keep _to ourselves,”_ Willow said before she removed her hand.

Amity groaned as she felt her face redden. She was almost positive this blush went right to her ears, they certainly felt hot enough.

“Why?”

“Because this is something that’s between _Luz and Amity,”_ Willow explained. “We can give advice, but it wouldn’t be right to completely blurt it out. We should respect Amity’s feelings.”

And if there was a single thing that Willow could have said that proved she was a better friend than Amity could have ever hoped for, then this was it.

Gus looked like he was on the cusp of asking a dozen or so follow up questions, and Amity really wished that something, _anything_ could interrupt them right about now.

“Are you _still_ hanging around with these… _nobodies?”_ Boscha’s snide voice came from behind them.

Amity immensely regretted her wish.

“Far better than your company,” Amity said coolly.

She could handle Boscha, there was no reason to shrink under the look her former not-friend was sending her.

Boscha rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I still don’t understand why you’re even wasting your time with them. What could they possibly bring you?”

This was one of the reasons why Amity hated hanging out with Boscha in the first place. She only thought of people in terms of what they could bring to the table for her own benefit, and it was honestly very tiring to deal with.

“Actual friendship? Decent company? The ability to have fun without making someone hopelessly miserable?” Amity listed easily, voice full of snark.

“You’ve gone _soft,”_ Boscha sneered. “All of them are too weak to even bother with, they’re going to do nothing but drag you down. _Especially_ the human.”

Slowly, other students started to notice the brewing argument happening just outside the classroom. Amity cursed their nosiness, this was the last thing she needed right now.

 _“Luz_ is a better witch than many who have grown up with magic,” Amity growled.

“Do your _parents_ even know you’re lowering yourself to her level? Ooh, I bet they don’t. I wonder what they’d say if they just _happened_ to find out.”

 _“Shut up!”_ Amity snarled, but did her best to keep her voice low.

“So defensive,” Boscha grinned evilly. “I’m _almost_ wondering if you _like_ the human.”

For just a moment, Amity froze. This was her worst case scenario. _Boscha_ catching on to the giant crush Amity was holding a flame spell for. If Boscha realized just how true her words were, then everything was over. Boscha would tell her mother, who’d tell _Amity’s_ mother, and that was when Amity would face her doom.

Damage control needed to be done and _fast._

“What are you _talking_ about?” Amity did her level best to deliver her words with a confidence she did not currently feel. “Honestly, Boscha, I think your jealousy has you hitting a new low.”

“Really? You don’t think I haven’t seen all the things you’ve done for her since she started at this school?”

The crowd seemed to almost lean in closer, and from the corner of her eye, Willow and Gus seemed just as unsure of this situation as Amity was. The worry was palpable in Willow’s eyes. If they didn’t play this right, then Boscha would have all the gossip she needed to fuel a _very_ accurate rumor that Amity Blight had fallen for the only human in the Boiling Isles.

“Luz is my friend. Maybe if you weren’t so horrible, I’d have been willing to pull a few favors for you too,” Amity said with a shrug.

But there was a crack in her icy exterior. Boscha was hitting far too close to home. If she got any closer to the truth, Amity wasn’t sure how she would react.

And Boscha seemed to be emulating a slitherbeast on the bloodtrail.

“A _few?”_ Boscha laughed outright. “You know, it _did_ take me awhile to figure out why you’d changed so much so quickly. I mean, _I guess_ Half-a-Witch is pulling her weight at plant magic now. But the human doesn’t even _have_ magic! Were you just feeling sorry for her? _That_ didn’t make any sense. _'Blights only interact with a select group of people,’_ right?" Boscha asked mockingly.

“Boscha, why are you even bothering? Luz is a very good friend, and she’s proved that to nearly everyone in this school,” Willow said firmly.

But Boscha had finally stumbled upon the meat of the matter, and she wasn’t about to let it go now.

“Oh, _no,”_ she laughed. “The reason Amity’s so keen to make new friends is because she has a _crush.”_

Whispers rang out around them, and Amity could feel her stomach drop out from under her. Boscha noticed her dread immediately and her smile turned outright gleeful.

“Were you guys even that great of friends?” Luz’s voice cut in suddenly.

Amity had almost forgotten she was still here with them.

Boscha’s three eyes immediately turned to glare at her.

“Obviously not if she could just _dump_ us all so quickly,” she sneered. “I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that she’s somehow made _your_ social standing better just with her presence, or how much you’re dragging a _real_ witch down with… _all_ of that,” Boscha said as she gestured at Luz’s entire body.

“No, I mean… man. Amity must not have told you anything. Not that _I’m_ going to, but if you think she’s crushing on _me,_ then you’re obviously missing something,” Luz said as she finally got a handle on all the books she was trying to carry. “I mean, even your own _friends_ are getting tired of how mean you are to everyone. Look around, they’re not even here.”

Luz had brought up a point that Amity—or anyone present—had even _noticed._ Boscha’s usual posse was completely absent. Either they had snuck away to their own classes, or they were not so subtly attempting to open their lockers while clearly doing their best to ignore the argument happening within earshot.

Amity had missed so much of the post game after their grudgby match, but she recalled that Willow had been very pleased with how nice everyone was to her after they had finished their game.

“I’m just saying, people get really tired of this mean girl shtick. It’s not even a clever trope in movies anymore. Come on guys, arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere. Boscha can be miserable on her own.”

And with that, Luz simply stepped away from the entire situation. Amity, Willow, and Gus could do nothing _but_ follow her, what more was there to be said? Boscha seemed stunned that the entire fight had been so easily turned on her, and she didn’t seem to know how to respond.

Even Amity didn’t know what to think. She’d gone from lamenting over Luz’s obliviousness, to admiring her earnest desire to help, flipped to watching her goofiness, and now Amity was in awe of her seemingly sudden leadership ability. Amity could point at so many things that she admired about Luz, but she could say easily that what she admired the most about Luz was the complexity to her personality.

And as Amity followed Luz to her next class—she absently noted that Luz seemed to know Amity’s entire schedule—she couldn’t help but wish that Luz noticed her too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter was an Amity character study, and this one is a Luz study. I kind of felt like I wanted to start right where we left off with the both of them so I could set the stage for what I wanted to do with this story. It's going to be a long one, and there will be a lot of development and growth, so I felt it was good for all of us to get a bit of a baseline.
> 
> Luz starts out a little silly, but I kind of think that's part of her charm. She's got this funny charm to her that—at first glance—seems a bit ditzy, but Luz is actually very intelligent. I plan to take on the Oblivious Luz(TM) trope head on and do what I will with it. I don't entirely agree with it, so I'll be playing with it.
> 
> In a similar vein, I also don't agree that Amity would be doomed to Disaster Bean(TM) zone forever. She's got a good case of it here, but this is where she was last in the show, and that's where we'll start. However, I will make the point here that Amity is actually _very_ smooth when she wants to be. For that matter, Luz is too. Point is, the girls won't be stuck in a rut together. Make note of the Medium Burn tag, after all....
> 
> Honestly, though, the highlight for me when writing this chapter was the twins. They were a delight, and I take a lot of pleasure out of writing tormenting siblings, as I am the oldest out of my sisters lol.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dinner Amity has been dreading is imminent. All she can do is hope to weather her parents' disapproval.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write what you know.

The day actually ended up flying by, as much as Amity wished it hadn’t. Luz seemed to have forced Amity into a dreamlike stupor as they went to each of her classes. In the end, she’d failed to get a grip over herself, but Amity supposed there was always the next day. She was determined to change how she behaved around Luz. For one thing, Amity was tired of making a fool of herself. For another… Amity was still trying to decide if she wanted Luz to know how Amity felt about her.

Unfortunately, Luz was never going to notice Amity if she kept up her incoherence.

But that was a goal that Amity would have to set aside for now. The walk home with her siblings started out fairly light hearted. The twins had teased Amity just as much as she’d expected them to. Which was to say _immensely,_ but Amity couldn’t exactly say that they didn’t have good reason to. Though, she did make sure to promise that she’d get her revenge once her cast came off….

However, the levity didn’t last. The closer they had gotten to Blight Manor, the more oppressive the air became around all three of them. Soon, they’d all lapsed into complete silence.

The Manor was before them, and for a moment, they all paused in front of the gate. Amity wondered sometimes if the twins struggled to think of it as a home like she did. However, that was one of those topics that was never… addressed. For Amity, she feared putting a name to this oppressive feeling. It was easier to ignore if it existed only in her head.

"You guys didn’t do anything stupid this week, by chance?” Amity asked after a long pause.

“Nope.”

“Sorry, Mittens.”

Figures they’d actually been on their best behavior.

Amity sighed and pushed open the gate. Now her best bet would be to be as unassuming and neutral as possible. Her mother was almost certain to be upset with _something_ Amity had done this week, and although it would be hard to sit through the criticism, Amity knew it was always easier to just take whatever her mother said to her. Arguing or fighting back _always_ made things so, _so_ much worse.

Amity had a routine before these dinners. Do whatever homework she could manage to focus on—which was never much—pace around her room for at least a half hour, worry incessantly over what was coming for her, get dressed in ‘proper’ dinner clothes, and then _slowly_ take the stairs down as she tried to put off getting to the dining table for as long as possible. Her stalling was always in vain, this dinner was going to happen no matter what she would have wanted.

The table was already set when she got there, and surprisingly the twins seemed to have beaten her to their places for once. Neither of their parents were seated yet. They were always last to arrive and always came in together. And for something that has happened since Amity could remember, she always thought it was more than a little weird. It almost seemed like their parents were always trying to play a part, even in front of their own children within their own home.

And just like every Friday, Alador led his wife to her chair, pulled it out for her, and then seated himself. Amity knew that this was when her haranguing would begin. She could feel a heavy, leaden sensation settle over her chest.

“Good evening,” Odalia spoke first, as was tradition. “I trust you have all had good days?”

This was never a question asked in good faith. Amity knew that her mother wasn’t _really_ interested in how their days had gone, and Amity had made the mistake to vent about her problems _once._

Suffice it to say, that had been a disaster.

They were Blights, Amity and her siblings were expected to manage their own issues, and if they were unable, then they were unsuited to carrying their family name.

And that was _unacceptable._

"We had an absolutely _wonderful_ day,” Emira answered easily.

“Couldn’t have been better,” Edric added.

They were wearing identical, winning grins. Amity knew them both well enough that they were mocking their mother in the only way that they could: through exaggerated politeness.

Their mother narrowed her eyes at them for just a moment, but fortunately she did not seem to be in the mood to entertain their behavior.

“Excellent. Amity?”

All eyes went to her, save their father’s. He was peering at something on his scroll, but that was typical for him. Amity immediately felt like she was put on the spot. She _knew_ that there was something more to this dinner, there always was, and she wasn’t sure when the trap was going to be sprung. If she said simply that her day had gone well, that would be the perfect opening for her mother to claim that she was lying and then berate Amity for something she’d done over the past couple of weeks.

However, there wasn’t anything else she _could_ say. If she mentioned the near fight with Boscha, then her mother would want to know why that argument had started to begin with, and if _that_ happened, then Amity would have to explain she was friends with Luz, and that would be a complete _disaster._

There was nothing else for it.

“My day was rather uneventful,” Amity said as neutrally as possible.

There. Not good, not bad, surely her mother wouldn’t be able to find something that could be criticized from her statement.

“I hope you haven’t heard too many comments about what happened over the weekend,” Odalia pursed her lips at just the thought.

Amity was confused and a glance at the twins told her they didn’t know what their mother was referring to either. Amity decided to risk asking about it. Sometimes pushing these dinner conversations along actually made the night go by faster.

“Well, students were certainly talking _about_ it,” Amity hedged carefully. “But they didn’t say much to me.”

“No one said anything to us either,” Edric added.

However, their mother didn’t seem to be interested in speaking with the twins and she ignored Edric completely. A _bad_ sign, Amity now knew that she was her mother’s primary target and focus for tonight.

“Well, that’s a blessing from the Titan. I was worried that you were going to face undue attention because of Lilith’s absolutely _criminal_ behavior. I have to say, dear, that I must apologize for blaming you for what happened at Covention. Clearly Lilith was to blame and had likely been planning to betray the Emperor for some time,” Odalia’s face twisted in anger as she scoffed loudly.

But Amity couldn’t focus on that right now. She was _stunned_ that she just received an apology from her _mother_ of all people. Amity could count the amount of apologies Odalia had ever given her throughout her entire life on one hand with some fingers left over.

And then, as if this dinner couldn’t have gotten _any more_ weird, Alador finally looked up from his scroll.

“Yes, Amity, we now realize that you couldn’t have possibly known how insidious Lilith Clawthorne turned out to be. I suppose we would be to blame, if anyone. We should have been more cautious involving her with our family. After all, with her sister….”

The distaste in his voice was physically palpable, and Amity could almost taste it in the air. The judgment was about the only thing that made sense in this conversation so far. She just couldn’t believe that her parents were _actually_ taking the blame for something. It made her immediately paranoid that there was _more_ to all of this. There had to be. Her parents _never_ went easy on any of them, and for them to practically give Amity a free pass for not realizing that her mentor would literally betray everything they all believed in….

“ _Oh, Amity, why couldn’t you have read Lilith’s mind and realized that she was a liability? Surely I don’t have to explain how damaging this is to the Blight name and reputation?”_

_That_ had been the reaction Amity had been expecting. Not… this.

“You’re… not upset with me?” Amity asked, just to be entirely certain that she wasn’t hallucinating.

Her mother scoffed at the question, as though Amity was silly for even asking it in the first place.

“Of course not! Although, this could surely be a learning experience for you, dear. Never trust that others have your best interests in mind. They can and will turn on you at any moment.”

Okay, that was far more in line with the behavior Amity usually expected from her mother, and if she was honest, it made her more at ease. She didn’t entirely know what to do with herself when her parents were… too nice.

Emira and Edric barely concealed their eye rolls at their mother’s advice. That was not uncommon, but they were playing a dangerous game.

“Indeed. With recent… developments in mind, we have had to take quite some time and effort in finding you a new mentor,” Alador said.

A new mentor? Amity honestly didn’t understand what their goal was here. She hadn’t _exactly_ spent that much time with Lilith in the first place, and now her parents were acting as though finding Amity a new mentor was of the utmost priority. It didn’t make much sense to her, and she had no choice but to wonder at their motives. Surely there was a reason or plan behind all of this? There always was, especially when her mother was involved.

“We can only hope that this one will stay loyal to the Emperor and teach you more than just magic,” Odalia agreed.

And that was where Amity suspected their motivation lied. She didn’t trust that this was only about her magic. Amity was top student in her grade for a reason, and truthfully, Amity could not name something Lilith had actually _taught_ her while they worked together. In all honesty, Amity had used Lilith’s constant distraction as an excuse to get out of the Manor when she felt her home was becoming too stifling. She was easily able to spend more of her time in the library or—more recently, she’d hoped—with her friends.

So, there was _something_ her parents felt she was deficient in, and Amity couldn’t for the life of her imagine what it could be. That worried her. Quite a bit.

“Wow, are we getting brand new mentors too?” Edric asked with a slight pout.

“Enough, this is not the time to be jealous of your sister,” Odalia snapped, apparently not at _all_ in the mood for any of the twins’ shenanigans. “If either of you had wanted a proper apprenticeship, then perhaps you should not have chased off every respectable teacher with your foolishness.”

A few weeks ago, this was where Amity would have felt smug and she would have probably given a satisfied smirk to both her siblings. They were almost always impressing their parents with their raw magical ability, and this would have been Amity’s chance to outshine them a little bit.

But right now, all Amity could feel was an odd sense of foreboding. None of this was going as she had expected it to, and that made her feel not only ill at ease, but also more than a little guilty. What reason did she really have to doubt her parents so much? So what if they were actually showing her a little favor for once? Hadn’t this been what she’d been wanting?

It was, and Amity couldn’t deny that one bit. Perhaps she _could_ feel good about impressing her parents at the very least. Surely that wasn’t something she needed to feel ashamed of? Amity did realize that she didn’t have to rub the twins’ faces in her success tonight, at the very least. Maybe that was the compromise she could make with herself. They never did take responsibility or duty seriously, but that didn’t mean Amity had to take the same view.

“I—Thank you. I’m sure whoever you have found for me will be far more suitable than Lilith had ever been,” Amity settled on.

“Oh, he’s more than suitable. A top member of the Emperor’s Coven and certainly someone who has been far more ambitious and—more importantly—loyal to the Emperor than Lilith has been in _years,”_ Odalia said with a wrinkle in her nose.

Sometimes, Amity wondered if her parents had known Lilith personally beyond the professional relationship they held for her apprenticeship. Her mother didn’t always speak positively of Lilith, even before her betrayal.

Of course, trying to ask about it was tantamount to a death wish, so Amity had never bothered.

“Amity we do trust that you will pay far more attention to any suspicious behavior this time?” Alador asked sharply.

“Yes, we _cannot_ risk the Blight family associating with known traitors in yet another incident. I don’t care if none of us are not at fault, the proximity alone could mar our reputations _easily._ Our family has stood by the Emperor’s side since he took power, and we cannot allow anything or anyone to jeopardize our position,” Odalia instructed fiercely.

“Did the Emperor pardon Lilith?” Emira dared to ask.

Silence fell over the table immediately. Amity stared at her sister with wide eyes and even Edric seemed to be gaping at her gall. Amity had no idea where this question had come from, and she was already wincing at the fallout that was certain to—

“Emira Blight, are you a fool?” Odalia snarled.

“No, but I’m paying attention,” Emira snapped back. “You _just_ got done telling Amity that it wasn’t her fault Lilith went off the deep end, and now you’re saying in almost the same breath that it’s up to her that this next one won’t go crazy either? Which is it? And why is it _her_ responsibility to try and manage adults?”

Edric frowned. “Yeah… that doesn’t seem fair. How’s she even going to notice? It’s not like Lilith talked to her about any of this beforehand, right?”

“A pity that neither of you managed to take after my track,” their mother sneered. “Otherwise you would have perhaps managed to learn how to think _ahead._ We can _never_ afford to have our guard down. If this family loses the Emperor’s favor, then we can be assured that our legacy will be completely ruined. I do not want to hear anything else about this. Your sister understands what is at stake, and I believe it is time the both of you accepted this reality as well.”

The pressure was _always_ there, and this was no exception. Amity knew that she _needed_ to be the best at what she did, she _needed_ to talk to the right people at all times, she _needed_ to always keep her composure. Anything less than perfection would look bad on her family. She just hadn’t expected that _spying_ on other people would be a part of her responsibilities as well.

Every day, it seemed like Amity had more to do, and she wasn’t sure when or even _if_ it was ever going to end. According to her mother, it never did. Amity sometimes wondered what the point of all this was, but she also knew that questioning it was never going to go over well.

“I’ll be careful,” Amity promised, hoping that would at least be enough to please her mother for now.

“You need to be _more_ than careful, Amity. Vigilance and cunning is how we got our family where it is today, and that is certainly the _bare minimum_ of what a Blight should strive for. I expect this from _all_ of you,” their mother said with a glare around the table.

“Your mother is right, the Emperor is almost certain to be cracking down on any and all weakness that may be lurking in the covens right now. The Owl Lady’s escape and Unity Day approaching so quickly will mean he is on edge. We do _not_ want to bring his focus on us,” the baleful and heavy gaze he laid on all of them certainly did what it needed to. Amity was convinced that failing in the expectations set in front of them was… not going to go well to say the least.

Amity quickly nodded before either of her siblings could speak again. For the sake of all of them, it was best to simply agree to whatever their parents said so they could move on from this topic. Their mother was likely to really get going if they pushed back too hard.

“Of course, thank you for finding me a new mentor. I look forward to working with him,” Amity said quickly.

She wasn’t even interested in asking too many details about this person, she was that eager to push this dinner along.

“Of course,” Odalia waved off Amity’s words as though gratitude was a given, and only now focused her attention on the twins.

Amity was _more_ than grateful for this, as it meant she was no longer in the spotlight. The stress was something she was entirely too familiar with, and she hated it. Amity wished she wasn’t always so on edge when their parents were around, as she _did_ want to make them happy. But she found that actually speaking with them was more of an ordeal than she would have wanted.

For the rest of the dinner, Amity stuck to watching and answering only when she was directly spoken to. And, as if her mother had been entirely replaced, Odalia spent the rest of the night praising the twins for a good test score they had achieved over the past week. All signs of her frustration with them seemingly forgotten. Amity knew better, though. Her mother _never_ forgot anything, and nothing ever seemed to escape her notice. She had simply set the topic aside. If Amity or the twins did _anything_ that was out of line of the directions their parents have given them tonight….

Well, they were certain to hear about it.

As for their father, Alador had long since gone back to his scroll, as was usual for him. If his wife had his children well in hand, Amity knew that he wasn’t likely to pay attention to what was happening right in front of him. She’d long since gotten used to his inattentive behavior, but sometimes Amity wondered if their family life would be different if he was more… present.

Then again, he _did_ seem to agree with her mother when he did pay attention, so perhaps Amity was hoping for a fantasy.

She was startled for a moment when her parents both stood up from the table, but Amity soon had to mask a sigh of relief. Somehow, she’d managed to carry herself through this entire ordeal without making them too upset with her.

In fact, Amity would have said that they seemed to almost be _pleased_ with her. The criticism had been kept to a minimum, and Amity wasn’t entirely sure what she needed to do with herself now. Ordinarily, she’d go to her room and brood over her failures, but that didn’t seem to be her fate tonight.

What she _did_ need to do was figure out a plan of attack for this new mentor she was apparently going to be working with for the foreseeable future. Amity was more than wary of what this would mean for her. Her parents clearly thought she was lacking in _some_ area of either her education or magic, as—despite Odalia’s harsh words—the twins had never actually _needed_ a mentor themselves. Magic seemed to have always come so naturally to the both of them. Amity had long since given up on wondering why it was so different for her. Either they were just born with that natural talent, or they somehow managed to bounce their development off each other in yet another, freaky, twin thing.

Amity was distracted as she left the table and made her way back to her room.

She knew she would have to present herself as attentive as possible. Amity _did_ want to learn something from this person if that was in her best interest. And knowing her mother, there _was_ probably something of value to come from this new apprenticeship.

She just couldn’t help but be wary. What was her mother planning? And why was Amity so uncomfortable?

So many of these questions she knew she wouldn’t be gaining the answers to tonight. That fact frustrated Amity to no end, and she could already feel her chest tighten at just _how much_ she was already worrying about, and she hadn’t even met this person yet.

Continuing this line of thinking was not going to get her anywhere, and desperately, Amity cast her mind in search of something, _anything_ that would get her thoughts on something else.

Really, she should have expected it.

But Amity was still so unaccustomed to having her thoughts _so_ enthralled by just one person.

Luz just seemed to barge into anything she was involved in, whether that be Luz the person, or Amity’s own ideation of her. Tonight, she couldn’t help but hyper focus on how _attentive_ Luz had been to her needs all day today. If Amity hadn’t known better, she would have wondered if, perhaps, Luz was beginning to return her feelings.

However, Amity _did_ know better, and she knew that Luz was simply being—what Luz viewed at least—a good friend. Amity had certainly never before had a friend like this. Even at their closest, Willow probably wouldn’t have insisted on getting Amity the _best_ of everything. Whether that be the best seat in whatever class Amity was sitting in, or pudding for lunch.

It was all _so_ confusing, and ironically, Amity found herself in her window seat tonight. It was where she went to think, and she’d not doubted that she would find herself here tonight. She’d just thought she’d be upset over her parents. Not worrying so much over her apparently doomed crush on a human girl.

Absently, Amity started to make spell circles with the tip of her finger. Around her small lights started to rise up throughout her room. She wasn’t sure if it was the magic itself, or if they just reminded her _that_ much of the one person who seemed to regard them with so much awe and wonder…. But, somehow, the room seemed far less stifling than it usually was.

The Manor was almost always suffocating and muted in its environment. It was something Amity had always _known,_ but she’d become intimately familiar with its dreary walls while she’d been cooped up and injured over this past week. There was nothing else for it, Amity had missed her newfound friends—and, _yes,_ Luz—and the desire to be away from her own home was more powerful than ever before.

“Wow, you’ve got it _bad,”_ Edric’s voice was an _entirely_ unwelcome intruder on Amity’s thoughts.

“Look at Mittens!” Emira added. “Already growing up with her first crush.”

They both quickly made themselves at home on her perfectly made bed, and Amity _glared._

Edric even went so far to dramatically throw himself backwards onto the bed cover as he sniffled.

“When did this happen? Our _baby sister_ is simply maturing far too quickly,” he placed the back of his hand to his forehead for good measure.

“What do you want?” Amity snapped. “It’s bad enough you embarrassed me today. Haven’t you both gotten your fill? I’m tired.”

The twins traded a look with each other and Edric sat up.

“Well,” Emira started, entirely too carefully by Amity’s standards, “that’s actually why we’re here. You _do_ know that you don’t have to do any of that stuff Mom and Dad dumped on you tonight, right?”

Amity grimaced. She should have known. Her siblings had become far too overprotective since _The Library Incident._ They were still as annoying as they always have been, but lately they’ve taken to actually… _looking after her._ Amity was not at all sure what she thought of this most recent development, but she could at least say that it was very alien to her.

They also didn’t seem to understand the kind of pressure that Amity always lived with, and she wasn’t sure if they ever would.

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered. “I’m sure you could both just blow this off no problem. You have plenty of practice at it.”

Edric elbowed Emira before she could say anything else, and for a moment, they seemed to have a _very_ heated conversation in only traded looks with one another. Amity rolled her eyes.

Finally, Edric seemed to win whatever argument they were apparently having.

“Alright, we’ll drop this for now. But…,” he waggled his eyebrows at her and Amity was _this_ close to summoning an abomination. _So close._

“If you want any help with your little crush…. We’d be _more_ than happy to push things along,” Emira finished with an almost evil smirk.

“I don’t need any help!” Amity snarled out.

“Well, _that’s_ very debatable, baby sister,” Edric snorted. “What we saw today was—huh. Can we really put it to words?”

“It was a disaster,” Emira supplied.

Edric snapped his fingers. “Yep, that’s it. A disaster.”

That did it, Amity had officially had enough. She growled as she drew a _very_ large spell circle. An abomination loomed over both twins who seemed to grow pale as they instantly realized they’d fatally overstepped.

With one scoop, it lifted both of Amity’s problems and _chucked_ them right out her bedroom door.

Well, that was one—well, _two—_ issues solved. Amity just wished the rest of her life was so easily dealt with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this chapter's notes. Amity's been building up this dinner with a foreboding sense of dread for the past two chapters, only for it to have gone... not so badly. To me, this is what toxicity and familial dysfunction actively looks like. You learn how to expect the worst and rather than being pleased at getting a better result than you expected, it just makes you feel like the other shoe is going to drop at any moment. Safety and security is not a thing that exists in this household because you are constantly on guard for when the next blow up happens.
> 
> And then on the other hand, getting validation and receiving affection or praise feels great because it _is_ something you want. More than anything. Particularly from the people it is supposed to be coming from in the first place. You end up wishing that this is how your family could be all of the time, and wonder why that isn't the case.
> 
> Suffice it to say, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Blight Family Dynamics(TM).
> 
> I'm still having a lot of fun with writing the twins attempt to bully Amity into success. This is my preferred take on them. They care a lot for Amity, I mean they attempted to stand up to their mother for her. But... they can't resist teasing the crap out of her when the opportunity presents itself. Poor Amity.


End file.
